


Saving Death

by headscab



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2019-01-07 02:36:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12224013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/headscab/pseuds/headscab
Summary: Nico liked his life.Well, he liked some of his life.  He didn't like how his landlord sometimes shut his water off, or how his upstairs neighbor played Taylor Swift at any and all hours of the night.  He did like his job at Sleepy's Diner, and driving his truck through the mountains whenever he wanted.  He was the epitome of normal, and generally appreciated that.At least until two teenagers messed up his normal life by killing a giant chicken who exploded through the diner window.





	1. Drinking Coffee is Just Part of the Daily Grind

Nico hated the diner.

Well, he hated it on principle. The customers were rude, the pay was bad, the hours were long, and every night he came home with the scent of eggs deeply imbedded in his clothes, hair, and skin. No matter how hard he scrubbed, there was a good chance that Nico had syrup on his arms and a coffee aroma following him like a ghost. Yet, he loved the pancakes, and the cook, and even his cranky manager. He could do without the other waitress talking his ear off about her new boyfriend every other week, but he wouldn’t quit, no matter how annoyed he got.

Even if the clock ticked so slow, and the sky was all black, and the only lighting outside was the flickering neon sign that said _Sleepy’s Diner_ , with the _N_ and _R_ blown out so that it actually read _Sleepy’s Die_. There was no indication of time other than the slow clock, which was almost definitely broken, because there was no way that Nico’s shift was only _half over_. It was slightly past midnight, meaning that he still had four hours to go.

The bell above the door dinged loudly, announcing the man who walked through the threshold. His curly black hair sat just above his nape, skin just slightly darker than Nico’s own olive complexion. The man sported an expensive black suit, a gold chain around his neck, and multiple gold rings that glinted even in the bad diner lighting. He was speaking lowly into a black flip-phone, but hung up as Nico met his gaze.

The man immediately came to the counter Nico rested his elbows on, taking a seat on one of the red swiveling barstools.

“Hello,” the man offered as Nico stared at him in silence. “Will you take my order?”

Nico straightened up. “Sure. Do you want to know the specials?”

“What do you recommend?” he asked, as per usual.

“The pancakes are good,” Nico said, as per usual.

“Then I’ll have the pancakes.”

Nico scratched down a sloppy scrawl on an order sheet that could be read as ‘ _pancakes_ ’ or maybe ‘ _monkey_ ’, or even ‘ _donkey_ ’; it was up to Gordon to decipher. He turned and clipped it to the order rack and spun.

Gordon, who was presumably sleeping until the screech of the rack woke him up, appeared immediately. His chef’s hat was on crooked and drool stained his cheek, but he plucked the order off, squinting at it. He was, perhaps, the only person who could tolerate Nico’s handwriting.

“One order of pancakes,” Gordon announced, “Coming right up.”

Nico walked back to the sticky yellow counter.

“How’s the weather, Mr. H?” Nico asked, pushing his springy bangs back a bit.

“Mellow,” Mr. H answered. His amber eyes seemed deeper, darker than usual, the lines on his face more prominent. Even as Nico knew he must be pushing forty, Mr. H always had a timeless look to him; he was all angles, sharp cheekbones and a pointy chin, a strong face. Tonight, however, he grew older.

“Late night at work?”

Mr. H shrugged. “Never late enough.” He looked at his watch. “I do need to eat and run. There are two that should be arriving soon.”

“At your office?” Nico scratched at the yellow polyester diner jacket. After Mr. H left, he would take it off, even though the _Metallica_ shirt underneath was definitely not work policy.

“Hmm?” Mr. H said, blinking owlishly. “What’s at my office?”

“Never mind.”

The order-up bell dinged. Gordon was gone by the time Nico turned around, probably already back under the produce cart, snoring away. The pancakes looked as fluffy as they always did, and even the syrup cup seemed to radiate warmth. Nico’s mouth watered.

He carried the plate over to the counter, setting it down and pouring a cup of black coffee. “Enjoy.”

Mr. H placed a paper napkin in his lap and dug in. Nico almost laughed; for such a refined looking man, complete with the expensive jewelry and rich aura, he ate like someone starving. Syrup ran down his chin, which eventually combined with coffee as he drank between bites.

“Like it?” Nico said.

Mr. H inhaled the bite on his fork, swallowed thickly, and put his silverware down. “Of course. My compliments to the chef. I’ll take the check.”

“Do you want a box?” Nico eyed the last half of the meal left on the plate.

“No, thank you. As I said, I really have to eat and run.”

Nico nodded and shrugged, wandering over to the computer to type in the order and print out the bill. It whirred angrily as it spat the paper out, almost as if saying, You dolt! There’s no reason to be eating pancakes so late at night!

“Do you want dessert?” Nico called over. Mr. H shook his head, and Nico brought him the check. As Mr. H began to scrawl, Nico carried the dishes into the back.

Gordon fell asleep with a pickle slice stuck to his cheek and tomato juice dripping into his blond hair, leaving an oozing red stain. His chef’s uniform was beyond clean, moving into the ‘must-be-destroyed’ realm of filth.

Nico flicked a piece of soggy pancake at him. “Kudos for the meal.”

By the time he returned to the front, Mr. H was gone, leaving the diner empty besides for the rows of red plastic booths and the sticky barstools. Nico grabbed the check off the counter, eyes bulging out immediately.

For whatever reason, Mr. H had left the total for his meal in perfect change. For whatever reason, he also left a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill as well. Nico checked the tip line disbelievingly; it wasn’t a mistake, the pen read the exact amount. Embarrassingly, Nico was almost moved to tears. He clutched the larger-than-life tip to his chest, closing his eyes.

‘Mr. H,’ he thought, ‘I owe you my life.’

As he tiled the check, two coins slipped out from under his thumb, different from the change left for the meal. They clattered to the floor, ringing like a bell.

Nico cursed. He hated touching the forever-sticky floor, but knelt down on his hands and knees anyways. The coins rolled under the counter, thick and bigger than a quarter. He scooped them out, nearly gagging when he touched chewed gum. They weighed heavy in his palm.

As Nico inspected them, he knew that it wasn’t American currency. It wasn’t anything he recognized. On the front, a man wearing a helmet. On the back, an owl with huge eyes. The coins were a deep bronze, and even though they looked shiny and new, Nico felt the age to them. He rolled them between his fingers, feeling their thickness, and sensing importance, still without knowing what they were. As the light caught them, they winked like small suns. Nico pocketed them, thinking to look them up online later.

Back to the one-hundred-dollars deposited into his hands. Nico’s heart swelled. Mr. H was his favorite regular, but he now moved to god-tier. He pocketed that as well, went to put the money in the register, and then searched for the gum scraper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates coming, soon!


	2. Fowl Play

After touching chewed gum for an hour, scrubbing his hands with industrial sanitizer, and _finally_ throwing the hideous yellow uniform in the back room, Nico sat on the ledge housing the coffee maker.  He patted the pot, still warm, and took a swig directly from it.  The clock ticked slow; there was still two hours left of his tortuously long shift. 

 

            There was no shitty music to listen to ever since Elroy, the permanently cranky manager, decided that he _hated_ any and all music, and destroyed the radio that used to sit in the back with a baseball bat in the parking lot.  The only sound, besides for Gordon, the chef’s, faint snoring was the ticking of the clock.  Nico took another swig of coffee, trying to stay awake.  Unfortunately, the last time he fell asleep during the graveyard shift, someone snuck in and drew a dick on his face with Nico’s own sharpie.  Nothing was stolen, but Nico’s pride was a bit damaged when Elroy woke him up by laughing too hard. 

 

            Nico sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment. 

 

            The clock ticked, and ticked, and ticked.

 

            His eyes stayed closed. 

 

            The bell dinged.

 

            Nico jolted upright, almost falling completely to the floor before catching himself on the ledge of his previous seat.  His heart pounded; hopefully, he was not about to get robbed.  The diner had so little money that the robber would probably get more by shooting Nico and selling his organs on the black market. 

 

            Luckily, it was just two teenagers.

 

            Well, Nico was assuming they were teenagers, as they looked to be his age, and Nico had just turned eighteen a few weeks ago.  If they were teenagers, they were very _dirty_ teenagers.  The first one was blond, her hair caked in dirt and her white shirt covered in grass stains and something that Nico hoped was strawberry jam.  What used to be pants were now shorts, showing her skinned knees and bruised legs in all their glory.  The maybe-strawberry-jam contrasted strikingly with her pale skin.  As Nico met her eyes, her gray ones seemed to say, ‘ _Yeah.  I’m a mess.  Please don’t talk about it’._

            The second teenager was another story. 

 

            He was just as bad as the girl, if not worse.  For whatever reason, his shaggy black hair had a streak of gray that stood straight up, slicked with mud.  A cut ran along his cheek, already scabbed but still ugly.  He wore an orange shirt that had definitely seen better days.  His pants were ripped as well, but held up, not yet turned into the jagged shorts as the girl wore.  Yet, the worst part was the dazed look in his green eyes, like he had just been shocked with a stun gun at the highest voltage. 

 

            Both of them looked exhausted, and in high need of some serious caffeine. 

 

            “Uh,” Nico said, “Welcome to Sleepy’s Diner, where our coffee is hot and the food is good.  Can I get you a booth or a seat at the counter?”

 

            “A booth is fine,” the girl said, her voice surprisingly strong, considering her current appearance. 

 

            “Sure,” Nico said, trying not to sound like he was judging them, even though he definitely was.  “Let me grab two menus’.”

 

            They dropped into the booth like two sacks of rocks, the boy immediately sliding down so that he was almost entirely underneath the table.  The girl held herself together a little better, but Nico couldn’t miss the way her hand shook as she picked up the menu.

 

            She sighed, setting it down.  “I’m too tired to read.  What do you recommend,” – She glanced at his nametag – “Nico?”

 

            “The pancakes.”

 

            “I’ll get the pancakes.”  She nudged the boy’s hand.  “Percy, what do you want?”

 

            “Blueberry waffles,” he muttered, eyes still glazed and dull.  His gaze shifted to Nico, making his spine tingle with nerves.  “Syrup… blueberry.”

 

            “Uh, sure,” Nico said, writing down the order.  “What about drinks?”

 

            “Blue Kool-Aid,” Percy said.  He slid even lower, so that only his eyes peeked above the table.

 

            The girl sighed again.  “Just a black coffee.”

 

            “We don’t have Kool-Aid,” Nico said.  “I can make lemonade.”

 

            Percy’s head lolled back.  His eyes closed.  He mumbled, “Ann’beth, Kool-Aid... Annabeth-Aid…”.  He then passed out cold.

 

            “Sorry,” Annabeth said.  “Long day. You get it, right?”

 

            Nico had certainly never showed up at a diner at almost two o’clock in the morning, covered in maybe-strawberry-jam, clothes torn to all-hell, and dozed off in a booth, but he nodded anyway. 

 

            “Sure,” Nico said.  “I’ll go put the order in.”  He waited until he was turned around to make a ‘ _What the fuck?’_ face. 

 

            Instead of putting the order on the rack and spinning it that way, Nico walked into the kitchen.  Gordon was still snoozing, now with lettuce stuck to his chin and an avocado slice across his forehead like a thick, green uni-brow.  Nico rattled the produce cart.

 

            Gordon snapped awake after slamming his head on the bottom of the produce boxes.  The avocado slice squished into a paste.  He groaned, flopping onto the floor and unfurling.  His uniform collected dust and soaked up a puddle of mustard before he finally stood up.  Gordon rubbed his head where he hit it, picked up his chef’s hat, looked at it dejectedly, and threw it back down.

 

            “Is it closing time?” Gordon asked, his surprisingly deep voice compared to his pixie-like face refreshingly normal.  At least Gordon didn’t have weird red stains, unlike the strange customers in the front. 

 

            “No, not yet,” Nico said.  “I just met the two weirdest people I’ve ever seen.”

 

            “Weirder than the girl who tried to trade her baby for a stack of waffles?”

 

            “Definitely.”

 

            Gordon scratched his chin.  “I have to see this.”

 

            He peered through the order window at them, looked back at Nico, looked at the customers, then shrugged.  “I don’t get paid enough to judge people.”

 

            “I don’t get paid enough to serve people, or work at all,” Nico said.  “The fun part is the judgement.” 

 

            “Did they order?”

 

            “Yeah,” Nico began, “They did, but should we call the c-?”

 

            “Give me the sheet, and bring them their drinks,” Gordon interrupted, yawning and scratching his chest.  “The faster they leave, the faster I can go back to sleep.”

 

            Nico sighed, handing it over.  He rubbed his eye, looked down, realized he was still sporting just his _Metallica_ shirt, and then realized that he didn’t care whatsoever.  He smacked his lips twice, shifted from foot to foot, cracked his neck, stretched his back, and blew a raspberry for approximately two seconds before Gordon squirted pancake batter in his general direction and motioned for him to go away.  Nico sighed again.  He really didn’t want to go talk to the two again; something about them unsettled him, and not just because they were covered in something that he was still hoping was strawberry jam. 

 

            “Whatever,” Nico finally said.  He walked out, poured a coffee from the pot he drank from, grabbed a tap water, and walked to the occupied table.

 

            Unfortunately, Annabeth had fallen asleep by the time he returned.  Her head rolled to the side, showing bruising on her neck that looked suspiciously like fingerprints.  She breathed slow and deep.  Percy remained half collapsed under the table, eyes shut firmly.  A faint snoring was coming from him. 

 

            Nico set their drinks down quietly.  He studied them and turned to walk back to the kitchen, about to tell Gordon not to bother with the food. 

 

            That’s about when the window exploded.

 

            Falling flat on his stomach from the shock, Nico’s breath was knocked out of him.  Annabeth shouted, Percy groaned.  A screech came from whatever had just entered the premises.  Nico’s mind went slightly hazy; the only clear thought he could conjure was, ‘ _I really hate graveyard shifts’_. 

 

            “Percy!” Annabeth yelled.  “The mortal!”

 

            Something grabbed the back of Nico’s neck and yanked him to his feet.  Nico almost fell, but managed to keep steady.  His ears, he noticed, were ringing unpleasantly. 

 

            Percy stood behind him, eyes finally awake and alert.  He still looked exhausted, but he said urgently, “Get whoever else is in here, and _run.”_  

 

            Nico made the mistake of looking past Percy, and at the window.

 

            Perched on the sill was a giant bear.  No - not a bear.  A giant chicken.  Nico blinked rapidly.  There was no way that a chicken could break a window.  However, as he stared, he knew that it _had_ to be a chicken; it had feathers, mottled and gray, and a snapping beak, and talons that looked sharp enough to cut steel.  Horrifyingly, the giant chicken made eye contact with Nico.  Its eyes were pits, dark and cruel and extremely inhuman. 

 

            Even worse, it spoke. 

 

            “ _Nico…_ ,” it hissed.  The name came out gratingly, like it was spoken through a wire.  The beak clacked.  “ _Nico… di Angelo._ ”

 

            As the giant chicken spoke, it looked less and less like a chicken, and more human.  It was tall and thin like a human, still with mottled feathers but with definite limbs.  Its head wasn’t completely animal-like.  The beak was still there, snapping open and closed and emitting the occasional shriek, but it seemed smaller, more humanoid.  The chicken-human shuffled closer, talons clacking against the table.

 

            Percy shoved Nico back, yanking a pen out of his pocket.  Annabeth had a gun in her hand, pointing it at the creature shakily.  They both looked like they might collapse.  Nico almost begged them to run, and take him with them, but his voice and legs suddenly didn’t work. 

 

            But… as Nico kept looking at the scene, Annabeth wasn’t holding a gun at all.  It was a knife, so obvious that Nico had no idea how he missed it before.  It shined bronze, and radiated danger.  The chicken-human wasn’t deterred.  It kept moving forward.  Percy’s pen had somehow turned into a sword, but that wasn’t stopping it either.  It kept its eyes firmly locked on Nico.

 

            Percy glanced behind him.  “I said run!”

 

            “Sure did,” Nico managed to squeak out.  “Can’t do that.”

 

            Annabeth shouted, “Percy!”

 

            The chicken-human charged. 

 

            Percy moved like he was born to hold a sword.  As the creature stormed him, he swung out, dodging a talon and swiping up into its arm.  It screamed as Percy danced back, just avoiding a kick to the chest.  The arm steamed and fell to the ground, still wriggling.  Percy parried left and ducked, cutting off a leg.  The creature started to fall, tilting back and throwing the remaining arm forward to try and keep balance.  As it moved back, Annabeth’s knife suddenly appeared between its eyes.  Before it could hit the ground, the creature, squirming detached limbs and all, exploded into dust. 

 

            Both of them were breathing raggedly.  Annabeth inched forward, thrusting her hand into the dust to fish out her knife.  She strapped it to a sheath that hung from her hip, which had definitely not been there when she walked in.  Percy put a pen cap on the tip of his sword.  It immediately shrunk into, well, a pen. 

 

            Nico laughed.

 

            It started with a giggle.  Then, it was a full-on bellyache laugh, leaving him in tears and clutching his stomach.  His legs almost gave out as he cried and laughed hysterically. 

 

            ‘ _A chicken_ ,’ Nico thought, ‘ _A walking, talking, sentient chicken, that knew my name, and was killed with a dagger and sword.’_ He laughed even harder.

 

            “Should I slap him?” Annabeth asked uncertainly. 

 

            “Maybe I should,” Percy said. 

 

            “It said his name.”

 

            Percy glanced nervously outside.  “We need to go.”

 

            “We can’t just leave him here.”

 

            “We can’t take him with us!”

 

            Annabeth slapped Nico.

 

            It stung; she could really pack a punch.  Nico’s head whipped back, the giggles finally subsiding.  It left him feeling like elastic that had been stretched too far.  He had no idea what to think.  He wondered if Gordon had run away, or if he called the police. 

 

            “Hey,” Annabeth said to Nico.  “We have to go.  Do you have a car?”

 

            “Uh,” Nico said, which was all he was capable of squeezing out. 

 

            Percy grabbed his shoulders.  “Listen, we need to get somewhere safe.  Then, we’ll explain what we can.  Can you take us to, like, your house, or whatever?”

 

            Up close, Percy smelled like a sea breeze, which was definitely not what Nico should have been focusing on.  Percy also had bags under his eyes so deep that Nico wondered if he had slept in the past decade. 

 

            “Uh,” Nico said again.  “Gordon is in the back.”

 

            Annabeth and Percy exchanged a glance. 

 

            “We can’t bring them both with us,” Annabeth said.  “It’s probably better if he thinks someone broke in and just kidnapped the kid.”  She glanced at Nico.  “No offence.” 

 

            “Yeah,” Nico said, as if he agreed or was capable of coherent thought. 

 

            “Car?” Annabeth said again. 

 

            Nico smacked his front pocket.  Luckily, his keys jangled.  Percy let go of his shoulders and stepped back.  He outstretched his hand, and waited as Nico deposited the keys.

 

            “I’ll drive,” Percy said, not looking very happy about that.

 

            “I live nearby,” Nico offered.  ‘ _This is a dream,_ ’ he decided.  “I can give directions…”

 

            Annabeth nodded.  “Great.  We should go.  Now.”

 

            Leaving through the front door seemed so mundane.  With a huge gaping hole in the wall, it almost seemed inappropriate to leave normally.  Nico knew he shouldn’t, but wanted to jump out of the window so badly that he almost mentioned it.  However, Annabeth and Percy looked so exhausted that Nico was almost afraid to speak, in fear of his breath knocking them over and blowing them away.

 

            He led them to his car, a beat-up pick-up truck that was older than dirt and smelled faintly of rotten apples.  Percy unlocked it and got in the driver’s seat while Annabeth and Nico piled in the back, Nico rattling away the directions.

 

            “ _Weezer_ ,” Percy said as the stereo turned on.  “Nice.”

 

            “Nice,” Annabeth agreed. 

 

            “Nice,” Nico said.  “I mean, thanks.”

 

            The ringing from the window’s blow-out had finally vanished from his ears.  Nico rubbed his temple; he was definitely going to get a headache soon.  He didn’t notice it before they left, but he was also trembling.  He told himself it was due to the unnatural coldness of Colorado in December, but it was probably because he was scared shitless. 

 

            Nico decided right then that he would never eat chicken again.

 

            “Do you live alone?” Annabeth asked.  She was deep in thought, the gears obviously turning behind her storm-gray eyes. 

 

            “Yeah,” Nico responded.  He frowned.  “But I live in an apartment complex.  My landlord might be awake.  That might actually be a problem.”

 

            “Is there a capacity limit in your complex?” Percy said.  “It’s only three people, it should be fine.”

 

            “No.  I just haven’t paid rent in a while.”

 

            Nico could just barely see Percy nodding.  “That would definitely do it.” 

 

            Annabeth kept glancing around like someone was following them.  Nico suddenly _really_ hoped that she was actually just sightseeing.  She made eye contact with him as she swiveled her head around.

 

            “Do you have a cell-phone?” Annabeth asked.

 

            “Sure,” Nico said, already yanking it out of his back pocket.  “I don’t have any games on it, if that’s what you were looking f-,”

 

            In one fluid moment, Annabeth grabbed the phone and threw it out of the car window.  Nico cried out, lunging forward, but he knew it was too late when he heard a crack and shatter from the back tires.  Annabeth didn’t look at all apologetic for throwing at least three paychecks away. 

 

            “They can track us through that,” she said, in a terrible attempt to explain herself. 

 

            “Who the fuck are you guys?!” Nico exploded.  “That was my phone!  That was, like, three paychecks, plus overtime!  Who the fuck is _they?_   And what’s up with the giant chicken?!”

 

            They all fell silent.

 

            “I’m sorry,” Percy said quietly, turning the stereo off.  “Listen, we’ll explain once we get there.  Thanks for, uh, letting us go home with you.  I really don’t want to make your mind combust, but do you know anything about Greek gods?”

 

            “What, like Zeus and shit?”

 

            “Yeah,” Annabeth said.  She looked the smallest bit apologetic.  “And the other various ones.  They’re all real.”

 

            “I really don’t want to be in this car anymore,” Nico said.  “You know what?  You guys can have the car.  Just let me out here.”

 

            “We’re serious,” Percy said.

 

            “Unfortunately,” Annabeth added darkly. 

 

            “Really, right here is fine.”

 

            Nico was about to jump out, whether the car was stopped or not.  Was he even certain that he saw a giant chicken-person, or a sword, or a dagger?  There was no way.  It must have been a bear, and they must have killed it with a gun.  After all, isn’t that what Nico saw in the first place?  It was just sleep deprivation, that’s all.  Nico really hoped that Gordon called the police.  At least he could be comforted by the fact that Gordon got a good look at the two crazies.

 

            Besides, Greek gods, as far as Nico knew, were never real in the first place.  They weren’t real hundreds of years ago, and certainly not now.  Even if they were real, they definitely wouldn’t be sending monsters after teenagers, and definitely wouldn’t be in the United States.  _Nico_ didn’t even want to be in the United States; how could a divinely presence wish for that? 

           

            “Well,” Percy continued, apparently insistent on making himself look even more insane, “They had kids with mortals, and created demigods.  Monsters are drawn to demigods like moths to a flame.  I’m honestly surprised that you’ve survived so long.”

 

            “Gee,” Nico said loudly, “Thanks!  Please don’t lump me into your delusions.”

 

            “What do you think attacked us in that diner?” Annabeth asked quietly.

 

            “A bear,” Nico responded immediately.

 

            Percy sighed.  “You just asked us what that giant chicken was.”

 

            “I’m claiming temporary insanity.”

 

            “You didn’t go insane,” Percy insisted.  “What did I kill it with?”

 

            “A gun,” Nico said.

 

            “Are you sure?”

 

            They fell silent again.

 

            Nico looked at the window.  The familiar scenery of his neighborhood was starting to show: the dirty tires thrown on the side of the road, the graffiti under the bridge reading ‘ _Silence is Oppression, Join the Operation!’,_ the rows of houses that all looked exactly the same.  Nico knew that his life had just changed.  He could feel it in his bones, like the time he passed out drunk in a plate of Mac N’ Cheese and woke up feeling like an adult.  This time was a little different, but the message was still the same.

 

            “It was a sword,” Nico said softly.  “Annabeth had a dagger.” 

 

            “Regular mortals wouldn’t be able to see that,” Percy said.  “Nico, you’re a demigod."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates? Soon!


	3. Oatlandish Behavior

Nico thought he was very generous when he gave the two demigods some of his Lucky Charms.

 

            Cereal was one of his favorite foods.  He ate it every morning (if he actually woke up in the morning).  It was even harder putting the cereal in his favorite bowls, his only bowls, seeing as he lived by himself and thought having more than two of any dish was extreme spending.  However, the demigods ate with such gusto that he considered it maybe-okay. 

 

            Annabeth finished first.  She set her bowl down and sat back into the couch, sitting next to Percy and leaving Nico across from them in an armchair. 

 

            Nico was almost embarrassed leading the demigods into his apartment.  He had very sparse furniture, most of it from Goodwill, and most of it in very used condition.  He spilled food on everything regularly.  There was a pair of underwear hanging from a lamp, but _hey,_ he wasn’t expecting two magical people to show up and occupy his space.  At least they were clean.  Or, probably clean.

 

            There was only one other room in Nico’s apartment besides the general kitchen/living area, and that was his bedroom.  He had no idea if his guests would be spending the night, but he wasn’t sure if he should offer his bed to Annabeth.  If he had to guess, it was probably covered in dirty laundry and smelled like body odor.  Plus, if Nico offered the bed, she might high-kick him into the next dimension. 

 

            “So,” Annabeth said finally.  Her eyes were closed and her blond hair hung like a dirty halo around her head.  “What are your parents like?”

 

            “Dead,” Nico said.  Annabeth cracked one eye open.  “Dead now.  They _were_ good people.  Mom was Italian, liked gardening.  Dad was out of the picture most of the time, but came around for holidays.”

 

            She hummed.  “Your dad’s probably the god, then.”

 

            Nico laughed humorlessly.  “I still don’t know if I can believe that.”

 

            Percy slurped down the last of his cereal and decided to join the conversation.  “I couldn’t either, at first.  I always loved water and swimming, but having Poseidon as a dad?  I thought I was going crazy.”

 

            “I can see that,” Nico said.

 

            “You get used to it,” Annabeth said sympathetically.  “It is a little odd for godly parents to stick around after childbirth, though.  I’ve only seen Athena a handful of times.”

 

            “Athena?  Which one is that?” 

 

            “Goddess of wisdom,” Annabeth replied, and Nico knew that it was true.  She radiated intelligence and confidence that only a demigod of wisdom could have. 

 

            And Percy… Well, Percy was the ocean.  He smelled like the sea, looked like a crashing wave, and felt like the tide.  He was beautiful in the way a seashell is, dangerous like a current, but comforting like a warm day in low-tide. 

 

            “Do you have any special talents?” Percy asked.  “Feel any particular resonance with anything?  Nature?  Fighting?  Music?”

 

            Nico remained quiet.  Did he feel resonance?  The only time he had done anything particular amazing was when he learned how to play the harmonica with his nose, but he doubted that was the type of music that Percy meant.  He did feel peaceful in the mountains.  He visited his mother’s grave often, and his sister’s.  Nico enjoyed sitting in the grass next to the headstone, thinking of them, almost as if he was talking to their spirits.  Yet, he still didn’t feel as if that was something worth mentioning.

 

            “No,” Nico said.  “Nothing.”

 

            The two demigods sighed in unison. 

 

            Annabeth blinked her eyes open and looked off into Nico’s slightly ajar bedroom door.  “Do you have a shower I could use?”

 

            “Oh – yeah.  It’s in there, and I have some clothes that might fit you.”  He eyed the rags they sported.  “Percy might be a little more difficult.  I hope you don’t mind a tight fit.”

 

            Percy smiled, slow and warm.  “Nah.  Anything would be better than this, really.”

 

            “I’ll go first,” Annabeth said, standing.  “Percy, you keep first watch.  Nico, you can sleep until I get back.”

 

            With that, she headed into the next room, the door snapping shut behind her.

 

            “She’s the leader?” Nico guessed.

 

            Percy actually laughed.  It took all of Nico’s willpower not to blush – Percy had a really nice laugh.  “It’s a joint effort.  Usually, quests have three people but…”

 

            “Quests?”

 

            “Yeah,” Percy said.  “We have, okay.  This is going to sound insane.  I promise I’m not making this up.  We have the Oracle of Delphi living in our camp, who gives us prophecies to let us go on quests.  Quests usually have three people, but sometimes the Oracle will specify a different number.”

 

            Nico nodded as if what Percy said made sense.  He had no idea what the Oracle of Delphi was, other than the fact that it told the future, and even that assumption was a little iffy. 

 

            “So, you were assigned a two-person mission?”

 

            “We were assigned the prophecy as the oldest two people on camp.  The Oracle didn’t specify how many people, except that we’d need a son of Hades,” Percy explained, eyeing Nico as he said the last part. 

 

Hearing how Percy and Annabeth were the oldest was a sobering thought.  Nico guessed that Percy must not be much older than himself, and to be the oldest among a whole camp… Nico’s chest ached for a moment, thinking of how Percy told him it was surprising that he survived for so long. 

           

            “What’s your camp like?” Nico asked, changing the subject.

 

            “Camp Half-Blood,” Percy mused.  “Our color is orange,” ‘ _Explains the hideous shirt_ ,’ Nico thought, “and there are a bunch of different cabins for the gods and goddesses, and the Big House is the central hub, kind of.  That’s where Dionysus and Chiron liv-,”

 

            “Wait,” Nico interrupted.  “Like, _the_ Dionysus?  What was he, the god of wine?”

 

            “The very one.”

 

            “Why’s he running a camp?  Does he really enjoy being a camp counselor that much?”

 

            Percy shook his head, amused.  “It’s definitely a punishment.  The only bonus for him is drinking Diet Coke whenever he wants.”

 

            “Where is it?” 

 

            “New York.  Long Island, to be specific.  It’s a demigod safe-haven.”

 

            Nico had never been to New York.  In fact, he’d only really been in Colorado, and Italy when he was younger.  His mother didn’t like traveling.  After she lost Nico’s sister, Bianca, when they were young, well.  He lived a very coddled childhood. 

 

            Percy yawned and stretched.  “You should get some sleep while Annabeth and I wait to trade-off.  She was right about that.”

 

            “You’re the one who looks exhausted,” Nico scoffed.  “Besides, haven’t you heard the rule that a host can’t sleep until their guests are comfortable?”

 

            “Oh, I’m very comfortable,” Percy said seriously.  “I’d be even more comfortable if we traded places and you took a quick nap on the couch.”

 

            Nico bit back a laugh.  “Alright, alright.  If I start snoring, you have to wake me up.”

 

            “No promises.”

 

            They stood to trade places.  Nico had noticed that Percy was taller before, but in close proximity, their height difference was worse.  Nico also noticed that he didn’t smell that awesome, and that Percy still managed to give off hints of the sea even after fighting monsters probably ever since he left Camp Half-Blood.  It was very, very unfair.

 

            Percy settled in the armchair by throwing himself into it like it was made for him.  He wriggled into Nico’s grooves, lifted his legs up so that he sat cross-legged, and folded his hands over his stomach.  It was amusing how serene he looked, being in a stranger’s house, covered in blood and all.  Percy even smiled at Nico as Nico laid down on the couch. 

 

            “Sleep tight,” Percy said, still with his quiet smile.

 

            Nico was unsure if he could fall asleep at first, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, his mind was fading.  His body was exhausted and ached everywhere; he probably had a few bruises from falling earlier.  The information from the past few hours swirled around in his brain like someone tossed it in a blender and clicked the highest setting.  Nico closed his eyes, and drifted.

 

 

            Nico awoke to the sounds of pots and pans clanging around in his kitchen.

 

            His first thought was, ‘ _Oh shit, I’m so poor that they’re stealing my fucking silverware_ ,’ and his second was, ‘ _Oh shit, Greek gods are real and I have two of their children in my apartment’._   His third was that the sun was way too bright, and the banging in the kitchen way too loud.

 

            He blinked his eyes open, met with Percy’s general groin area, and closed them again.  Nico sat up and tried it again.  This time, Percy’s stomach was eye level. 

 

            Percy had raided Nico’s closet, sporting a sweatshirt that was comfortably big on Nico and uncomfortable tight on Percy.  It read, ‘ _Pee on a Ski’_.  Percy also found a pair of jogger shorts that Nico wore as pajamas, which were, again, comfortably big on Nico, but a little too small on Percy.  Even though his clothes were a disaster pit, Percy looked much better than the day before.  His eyes were bright, and his hair was still fluffy, but the gray streak was down instead of up with muck.  His skin seemed clearer, and the cut on his cheek had fully healed. 

 

            “Good morning,” Percy greeted, grinning.  “Hey, man, I know yesterday was a little weird, but you held up pretty well!”

 

            “Thanks,” Nico said dryly.  His back ached from sleeping on the couch.  Nico swiped the drool stain off his check with the back of his hand.  “Where’s Annabeth?”

 

            Percy gestured behind him.  Nico looked back; Annabeth looked surprisingly good in his clothes.  She padded around the kitchen, making a million sounds just for a cup of water.  Her blond hair was up in a tight ponytail, void of blood, thankfully.  As she heard Percy speak, she turned around. 

 

            “Hey,” Annabeth said. “Glad you’re finally up.  We need to talk.”  She looked at Percy meaningfully.

 

            “Yeah,” Percy said. “Annabeth has something to tell you.”

 

            She narrowed her eyes.  “Yeah, I guess I do.  Percy clogged your toilet.”

 

            “ _Hey!”_  

 

            Nico laughed.  “The plunger is in the plastic bag next to the shower.”

 

            Percy glared at Annabeth.  “I saw.  Thanks.”  He didn’t sound thankful at all.

 

            Annabeth grabbed her glass of water and wormed her way onto the couch next to Nico.  Percy sat down across from them. 

 

            “Seriously, though,” Annabeth said.  “We want you to come with us.”         

 

            “What do you mean?” Nico asked, frowning slightly.  “To your camp?”

 

            “I mean, eventually,” Percy responded, eyes serious.  “But right now, we want you on our quest.”

 

            Annabeth nodded.  “We think you’re the son of Hades.”

 

            “So, our quest is kind of doomed to fail without you,” Percy said.

 

            Nico was at a loss.  “I can’t just _leave._   Where are you even going?  I still don’t know what your quest even is.”

 

            “It started when the camp began dying,” Annabeth said quietly.  She stared down into her glass.  “At first, we thought that there was just a fruit shortage.  Then, there were no vegetables.  Every person who went out to get some came back empty handed, totally forgetting the reason that they left.  The grass started turning brown.  We couldn’t get any fruit.  Then, the trees were dying.  The dryads-,”

 

            “Tree spirits,” Percy added.

 

            “Yeah, tree spirits.  They disappeared.  They abandoned their trees, which shouldn’t even be possible.  Their trees are like their life-force.  But they vanished.  Any demigod who tried to eat fruits or vegetables just _couldn’t._ ”

 

            “I mean,” Nico said.  “Dessert all day, every day, right?”

 

            He could tell by the ashen faces of the demigods that it had somehow surpassed the dessert craze and into dangerous waters. 

 

            “I thought that at first, too,” Percy said sadly.  Annabeth rolled her eyes.  “Dessert all day, every day, was like a dream come true.  But you never really know how much you need fruits and vegetables until you’ve gone a month without them.”

 

            “So, what?” Nico asked.  “You’re on a round-country trip to buy fruits and vegetables?”

 

            “It’s worse than that,” Annabeth said.  “We can’t touch them.  It’s like we repel them.  The Oracle gave us a prophecy to find out what’s going on, and fix it.”

 

            “ _‘You shall go and face the call,_

_To save the days or end them all,_

_The grain shall wither and shall die,_

_Yet will remain until Yule tide._

_The son of Death will reign the salt,_

_And lock again the broken vault’,”_ Percy recited. 

 

            “The son of Death,” Nico repeated softly.  “You think that’s me?”

 

            “Well,” Annabeth admitted.  “We’re not sure.  But we have a pretty good idea.”

 

            “What happens if it’s not me?”

 

            “Then, the quest fails.  And the camp dies.”

 

            “Which is very not-awesome, and is the opposite of what we want,” Percy threw in.

 

            Nico’s chest suddenly felt very heavy.  How could he stake the wellbeing of a whole camp, a safe place for children who were chased by monsters their whole life, on the hope that he was a son of Hades?  “Where are you going?”

 

            “The Oracle mentions Yule tide.  We’re going to California, Langston Farms, before the Winter Solstice,” Annabeth explains.  “That’s where the biggest grain field is.  It also has one of the biggest apple orchards in the United States.  Hopefully, Demeter is there.”

 

            “Which one is Demeter?”

 

            “Goddess of grain and the harvest,” Percy said.  “She’s the one we have to talk to.  Also, just putting this in, the Winter Solstice is only seven days away.  It took us four days to get this far, and we’re only half-way there.”

 

            “Why don’t you just take a plane?” Nico asked, confused.

 

            “Zeus would strike it down,” Percy responded.  He looked a little sheepish, “He and I, well.  We don’t really get along.  I was already struck by lightning, I really don’t want it to happen again.”

 

            Nico remembered the dazed look in Percy’s eyes the night before.  He winced; getting struck by lightning was very, very high up on the ‘ _Never Want to Experience’_ list. 

 

            Annabeth breathed out slowly.  “Any other questions?”

 

            Nico sat in silence.

 

            He had no way of knowing how to deal with this information.  A day ago, his biggest problem was how to get out of working an opening shift on Saturday morning.  Now, he was thrust into a world of gods where the fate of many rested on his shoulders.  If the Winter Solstice was only seven days away, and they needed to reach Demeter before then, the demigods would have to leave _soon._   Right away.  The decision to go was a rock in Nico’s stomach. 

 

            “Do you have any supplies?  How do you travel?” he asked, nerves still squirming. 

 

            Percy grimaced.  “We _did_ have a car, and some packs.  When we were attacked last night by that storm spirit, we lost everything.”

 

            “Even your money?” Nico asked.

 

            Percy looked as if he would cry.  “Yes, even our money.”

 

            Annabeth was troubled.  “We need more supplies if we’re going to continue on.”

 

            “So, we’re going to borrow some from the nearest store,” Percy said, placing extra emphasis on _‘borrow’_.  He waggled his eyebrows. 

 

            “Borrow,” Annabeth agreed, looking at Percy darkly.  She diverted her attention back to Nico.  “I really wish I didn’t have to rush you, but the longer we stay here, the higher the chance is that a monster will find us, and the less time we have to save the camp.  Will you come with us?”

 

            Nico took a deep breath in.     

 

            He knew that Elroy and Gordon would miss him.  He knew that he would miss them, and Sleepy’s Diner, even if the letters on the sign were blown out and he came home smelling like breakfast food.  He also knew that he would miss Colorado, and his small apartment, and the stray cats he sometimes fed at the end of his shifts. 

 

            Yet, he felt the pull the two demigods had.  He knew that what they were saying was true.  As crazy as it sounded, the rightness of it radiated in his bones.  Nico wasn’t exactly sure that he was a son of Hades, but somehow, he could recognize that he wasn’t entirely human.  Camp Half-Blood seemed like a dream.  However, it wasn’t, and the magical pull in Nico’s veins certainly wasn’t either. 

 

            Nico exhaled.

 

            “Yes,” Nico said.  “I’ll come with you.”

 

            Percy clapped his hands together, grinning widely.  “I was really hoping that you’d say that.”

 

            Annabeth smiled too, nodding.  “I think I would have thrown you in a burlap sack and dragged you with us if you said no.”

 

            Nico laughed nervously.  He didn’t think that she was joking. 

 

            “Nico,” Percy said, serious once again.  “Do you know what this means?”

 

            Nico’s palms started to sweat.  “Uh, no?”

 

            Annabeth hummed mysteriously.  “Really, Nico?  You don’t know?”

 

            “Okay, no.”

 

            “It means,” Percy said slowly, “That you get to come shopping with us!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, guys. Thinking of puns is really hard. I have a good one for the next chapter, so please ignore how cereal is only mentioned, like, once and the title is a cereal pun. I had to make it work. Please, I'm just trying to live my best life. Updates? Sooooooon.


	4. Seen One Shopping Center, and You've Seen a Mall

 

            Shopping with Percy and Annabeth apparently entailed sneaking around, trying not to act suspicious but instead coming off as extreme shoplifters, and smuggling toothpaste out in the back of their underwear. 

 

            Nico volunteered some of his saved-up money hesitantly, which was really only three-hundred dollars in cash, plus whatever those coins Mr. H gave him were.  With it, they bought the stuff that they couldn’t smuggle: sleeping bags, backpacks, packs of water, a few gallons of gasoline.  As for food, Percy packed a few cans of soup in his newly found hoodie (one that actually fit) and placed a finger to his lips, _Shhhh._   How he kept them so hidden, Nico had no idea.

 

            Annabeth had her own taste in food, grabbing some plain bread, peanut butter, and a few boxes of granola bars.  Nico saw firsthand how bad the produce problem was when she tried to grab an apple, only to come up empty-handed each time she reached for it.  It was like trying to pet a fish; the closer she got, the farther it moved, until she gave up with a sigh. 

 

            Annabeth and Percy put on new clothes, ripping the tags off and fluffing them up so the items looked used, plus a few extra things that they stuffed in Nico’s backpack.  They both looked prepared for the Colorado winter: thick, woolen jackets, shoes with a heavy tread, scarves, and gloves.  They grabbed some essentials that Nico never would’ve thought of: flashlights, matches, a lighter.

 

            Percy nabbed some chocolate bars and led them to the checkout.

 

            He started loading up the conveyor belt, a grin that was very obviously a guilty one on his face.  “What’s up, man?”

 

            The pimple-faced teenaged boy at the register blinked, made a slight face, then shrugged, probably thinking ‘ _I don’t get paid enough to deal with this’._   “Not much.  Going camping?”

 

            “Yeah,” Annabeth said, smiling.  She did a much better job at hiding her thievery than Percy.  “I love your necklace.”  She peered closer at it, opening her mouth slightly.  “What does it say?”

 

            The boy blushed madly, fumbling with the matches in his hands.  “It says _‘Baby’._ ”

 

            “Is it from your girlfriend?” Annabeth asked innocently.  “She must be a really lucky girl.”

 

            “Uh,” the boy said, face the color of a stop sign.  “Y-yeah.”

 

            “I think she broke him,” Percy whispered in Nico’s ear, sounding oddly proud.

 

            “You’re not jealous?” Nico whispered back.

 

            Percy’s face scrunched up in confusion.  “Why would I be?”

 

            “I thought you two were-,”

 

            A lightbulb lit up above Percy’s head.  He made an ‘ _O’_ with his lips, then laughed and shook his head.  “Nah, dude.  Just friends.  And quest-mates.  Quest-friend-mates.”

 

            Annabeth grabbed half the bags.  “Nico, the money.”

 

            With a heavy heart, Nico dished out the cash, heart almost stopping as he saw the total well above one-hundred dollars.  The cashier practically ignored him, eyes glued to Annabeth’s back as she walked out to load up the car. 

 

            “Cash or credit?” he asked absentmindedly.

 

            “I just handed you cash,” Nico said.  “I’m paying you cash.”

 

            The cashier nodded.  “Sure.”

 

            Percy snickered. 

 

            “Here’s your change,” the boy said, handing over a single nickel.  “Hey, that girl, could I get her numb-?”

 

            “Nope,” Percy said cheerfully, grabbing the remaining bags.  “See ya!”

 

            Percy and Nico walked out, trying extremely hard to walk a normal speed and not get busted by the shopping plaza police.  Annabeth was already at Nico’s pick-up truck, sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat. 

 

            “I thought I was the driver,” Percy objected upon seeing her. 

 

            Annabeth laughed.  “You’re really funny, Seaweed Brain.”

 

            Percy turned to Nico.  “I’m a good driver, right?  I can drive.”

 

            “You definitely can drive,” Nico said.  “That is a skill that you have.”

 

            “I’m a _good_ driver,” Percy said.  “I want you to say it.”

 

            “You are a driver,” Nico said.  “You know how to drive a car.”

 

            “Stop torturing him,” Annabeth interrupted.  “Put the bags in the back, and get in.  It’s already almost noon.”  Nervously, she added, “We’re losing time.”

 

            Nico got in the back seat, expecting Percy to climb in the passenger’s.  He was a little happy when Percy crawled in next to him, smashing Annabeth’s bread in the process.  Percy pulled out the new backpacks and started loading them up. 

 

            Annabeth pulled onto the road.

 

            “Do you have a map?” she asked, making eye contact with Nico in the rear-view mirror.  A car honked loudly at her.  She chose to ignore it.

 

            “In the glovebox.”

 

            “Can you tell me what highway to get on?”

 

            Nico nodded, unbuckling to wiggle his way into the front.  As he unlatched the glovebox, Annabeth swerved to the left, throwing Nico into Percy’s lap.  Percy yelped as Nico’s elbow ended up in his groin.  Nico yelped as his head was tossed into the car door.  Annabeth made a little ‘ _ha-ha’_ noise, then cleared her throat.

 

            “Sorry,” Annabeth said.  “Guy in front of me slammed the breaks.  The map?”

 

            Percy muttered something that suspiciously sounded like, ‘ _That was so on purpose, stupid Wise Girl’_.  Nico dug out the map and sat back down.   

 

            “Uh, turn off here,” he directed. 

 

            Nico would like to say that he stayed awake the whole duration of the drive, but spending six hours in a car is a very long time to stay alert.  He stared off into the distance for one hour, played Eye-Spy with Percy for the second, quizzed Annabeth on Greek gods during the third, and slept from hour four to hour six.  At least when he awoke, Percy was dozed off too, snoring and drooling.  That comforted him a slight amount. 

 

            Stretching and cracking his back, Nico asked tiredly, “Do you want to switch?”

 

            He peered around the seat to get a look at Annabeth.  She looked worse for the wear, eyes slightly glazed and an iron grip on the steering wheel.  She glanced in the back. 

 

            “You sure?” Annabeth asked, exhaustion clearly evident in her voice. 

           

            “Yeah,” Nico responded guiltily.  He hadn’t even thought to switch drivers.  He had no idea how long Percy had been sleeping either, but he assumed that she had been driving the whole time.  “What state are we in?”

 

            “Utah,” Annabeth said.  “Just drove over the state line about an hour ago.”

 

            “We can switch whenever you want.”

 

            Annabeth immediately switched to the right lane and took the nearest exit.  A gas station appeared in the distance.  The parking lot was completely void except for an old Volkswagen and a large eighteen-wheeler.  All of the pumps were empty, and no motion came from inside the station but for the flickering lights of a television. 

 

            Nico’s pick-up stopped next to a pump.  Annabeth was out as soon as the car was stopped and off, stretching and sighing as her joints popped and cracked.  Nico almost woke up Percy, not knowing when they would be stopping again, but decided to leave him snoozing.  Annabeth grabbed the gas pump.

 

            “Can you buy some coffee?” Annabeth asked.  She gave a small smile, “I definitely need some caffeine.”

 

            “Yeah,” Nico said.  He grabbed his wallet.  “Do you want some snacks?  Maybe I could interest you in a gas station hot-dog?”

 

            “Hmmm,” Annabeth pondered.  “Could you tell me a little more about this hot-dog?”

 

            “Well, it’s guaranteed to have been sitting in a humid little box for at least twenty-four hours, and at least three people have coughed on it, and at least one little kid has touched it with his bare hands.  It’s really a steal.”

 

            Annabeth put a finger on her chin.  “That really sounds like a bargain.  How does it taste?”

 

            “Like boogers,” Nico said seriously.

 

            “That’s my favorite flavor of gas station hot-dogs,” Annabeth mockingly gasped. 

 

            Nico laughed.  “Coffee black?”

 

            Annabeth cracked a wide grin.  “Yeah.”  She called as Nico started to walk away, “Hey, Nico?”

 

            Turning, he said, “What?”

 

            “Pay for the gas, too, please.”

 

            Nico’s wallet pleaded for mercy as he gave Annabeth a thumbs up.

 

            The gas station was small and dirty, having the faint odor of cat urine and spilt gasoline.  The only two people inside were the woman behind the register and a man waltzing out of the men’s room.  The woman was extremely beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous.  Nico’s heart did a little back-flip as they made eye-contact.  The man was, well, average. 

 

            The coffee smelled stale.  Nico had worked at a diner long enough to know when coffee was bad coffee.  He glanced at the rows of cold caffeine-packed drinks in the freezers.  However, Annabeth said coffee, not a Double Espresso on ice. 

 

            As Nico turned to head to the checkout, he bumped into the man from earlier. 

 

            “Sorry,” Nico stumbled out, barely avoiding a spill on his shirt. 

 

            The man reached out a hand and steadied him.  “It was my fault.  Apologies.”         

 

            Nico blinked up at him.  Up close, the man was oddly attractive.  He had mismatched eyes, one green and one brown, a splattering of freckles across his nose, and plush lips.  He gave off the aroma of the ocean.  His hair was blond, or was it black?  The man smelled so good that Nico quickly became drunk and giddy.

 

            “Hruflreg,” Nico said.  “Uh, I mean, hi.”

 

            “Hello,” the man greeted, smiling faintly.  Nico almost keeled over.  How had he not noticed how gorgeous this guy was earlier?  The hand used to steady him was still on Nico’s arm, radiating warmth.  “I’m Hedylogos.”

 

            “That’s a beautiful name,” Nico choked out.  His tongue was suddenly too big for his mouth, and were his hands sweating?  He patted one against his pants, gripped the coffee tighter in the other.  The material felt rougher than before, or maybe Nico had just never been this _awake._

 

            “Do you think so?” Hedylogos asked, pulling Nico closer to rest on hand on the small of his back.  Their chests almost touched.  “I’m very flattered.  You’re quite handsome.  Are you from around here?  I’d love to take you to dinner.”

 

            Everywhere the man touched was fire.  Nico was melting and falling apart. 

 

            Something in his brain far off dinged, _Danger! Danger!_ , but the sweet, syrupy feeling the man was giving him was intoxicating.  Nico never wanted the arm on his hand to leave, never wanted Hedylogos’ breath to stop tickling his face, never -

 

            “Nico?” Annabeth called.

 

            Nico turned his head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of his friend.  Hedylogos touched his chin softly and maneuvered it back.  Nico stared again into the green and brown eyes.  Who had just walked in?  Nico had no idea.  He did know that Hedylogos had the softest looking lips ever.  He did know that if he leaned in, just a little bit, he could have a taste.  It was all he could think about; Hedylogos’ soft mouth, his lips parting as they kissed, his taste on Nico’s tongue. 

 

            “Nico…!”

 

            Someone was talking.  It was so far away.  Did Nico come here with someone?  It didn’t matter; he had Hedylogos now.  Actually, what building was he in?  Were they outside?  Everything was turning into mush.

 

            Nico was yanked back. 

 

            He fell on his ass, hard.  His tailbone ached instantly.  Yet, Nico was clear.  _Whatever_ that man had been, somehow, he had turned Nico’s brain into nothing.  He gasped in air, realizing that he sat close to spilled coffee, and scrambled to his feet. 

 

            Annabeth was holding Hedylogos at knife-point. 

 

            The bronze glinted dangerously, but Annabeth’s hand was trembling.  She was staring into his eyes.  As Nico watched, Hedylogos’ changed from a dark-haired, dark-skinned man into a taller, pale boy with curled blond hair. 

 

            “Annabeth!” Hedylogos’ said warmly.  “You look radiant today.”

 

            “Do I really?” she mumbled, reaching up one hand to tug on her hair. 

 

            “Yes,” Hedylogos said, moving forward.  His hand reached for the dagger.  “Could I see this beautiful weapon?  I have to make sure that it compares to your elegance.  The prettiest girl should have the prettiest dagger, after all.”

 

            “O-Of course,” Annabeth said, fumbling with the knife. 

 

            “Stop!” Nico shouted.  He ran forward and ripped the knife from Annabeth’s hand, turning to face the monster.  Annabeth cried out as she saw Nico’s back.

 

After Nico had a knife in his hand, he realized that he had no idea what to do with it.  Was he supposed to stab the man?  Slice him?  Would the knife even kill him?

 

“Give me that,” Annabeth growled, snatching it back.  They both made carefully sure not to look Hedylogos in the eyes.  “Who are you?!”

 

 

“I’m Hedylogos,” Hedylogos said simply. 

 

“God of-,” Annabeth started.

 

“Flirtation and sexual desire,” Hedylogos finished.  Nico could hear the smile in his voice.  He was sorely tempted to look into Hedylogos’ eyes again, just to get a glimpse of the beautiful man from before.  Nico shook his head, hard.  “Why won’t you look me in the eyes, my dear demigods?”

 

“You trickster,” Nico growled, stepping aside to let the more imposing Annabeth forward. 

 

“What do you want?” she demanded. 

 

“I’m no trickster,” Hedylogos said, hurt.  “You saw what you most desire physically in a partner.  As for what I want?  I’d like to take home a lovely new companion.”

 

“Leave,” Annabeth said fiercely.

 

Hedylogos spread his hands.  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, my dear.  Not unless one of you comes with me.”

 

Annabeth slashed forward.

 

The dagger didn’t even get close to slicing Hedylogos.  It cut through air and swung out, as if being pushed by an invisible force.  Annabeth swiped again and again.  Hedylogos stood unharmed.

 

“You can’t wound me,” Hedylogos informed them.  “I don’t want to hurt you two beauties.  Just make it easy.  Which one would like to live with me forever?”  Nico sensed eyes boring into him.  “How about you, son of Hades?”

 

“You can’t have either of us,” Annabeth said.  “Duck.”

 

Nico looked around wildly.  Had a duck gotten in the gas station?

 

“No, dumbass!  _Duck!”_

 

Annabeth grabbed his head and pushed him down.  Nico crouched low next to her as something landed with a heavy _thunk_ in Hedylogos’ abdomen.  Nico swiveled his head around.

 

Percy stood behind them in all of his tired glory.  He still had a drool stain on his cheek.  His sword stuck out of Hedylogos, dripping a golden liquid. 

 

“You can go now,” Percy said, his voice still scratchy from a long nap. 

 

Hedylogos looked down at the golden blood spilling from the wound.  His expression tightened.  “Very well, demigods.  However, I am not your last enemy.  Beware.”

 

Before he vanished into thin air, he blew a kiss to Nico, then _wink_ and he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! This is your host, Victor speaking. I'm here with some good news, and some bad news. Good news first? Of course! The good news is, here's a new update! You can read it however many times you want, however long you want, whenever you want. Sound good? I'll bet! Oh, the bad news? Alright, alright. I'm getting surgery tomorrow. I know, I can hear your cries. 'But Vic, when will we get our updates?' Yes, dear reader, that is a good question. I'm aiming for the end of next week. Trust me, I will work as hard as I can, hopefully not deliriously on pain medications, to get a good chapter out, ASAP! 
> 
> Here's some FAQ! 
> 
> Is the surgery dangerous, and will you die? Answer? Surgery always has a little risk, but I will be as safe as can be! As for the second part, I sure hope not! 
> 
> Next question, okay? What happened to the indents in the last half? That, I really don't know. 
> 
> Last question, last question! Victor, how will we know if you're okay? Well, well, well! Caring for the well-being of your wonderful, luxurious host? I'm flattered. You can find me on Twitter, where I might post some health updates, under the @ of vomltveg, with an L instead of an I. I don't post PJO stuff, it's mostly real life and anime, so beware! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Until next time, okay?!


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